Degrassi: The Drama Never Ends
by R.R.Staden
Summary: When a new girl, Lacee Miller, enters Degrassi High, it isn't her fault that Drew Torres can't keep his eyes off her. Drama unfolds; an unlikely paring to take Drew down, a lockdown, heartbreak and injuries. There is never a quiet moment at Degrassi High.
1. Chapter 1

Lacee Miller grinned as she stood at the foot of the stairs. She had been hoping that this was a possibility, not just a dream. It was surreal to her now, to be standing in front of the building. Degrassi High School, home of the Panthers. Lacee could barely contain her excitement as she proceeded up the front steps and into the lobby. No one gave her a second glance; everyone was focused on seeing they're own friends, not making new ones. Lacee wasn't disturbed by this problem at all; she would meet people soon enough.

_Go to the office as soon as you get in the school to get your schedule._ Her mom's words rang in her head, and she quickly headed to the clearly marked room. A stockier girl was waiting inside of the office, her hair in mousse curls. She was gesturing with her hands a lot, and Lacee could feel the annoyance radiating from the girl; even before she entered the room. But the idea of being late for her first class seemed like bad karma just waiting to happen.

The girl didn't even glance at her as she entered the office. She kept flailing her hands and finally, with a lot of controlled effort, placed them onto the counter. "Are you telling me I can't take my spare because it isn't allowed for grade eleven's anymore?"

"Miss Edwards, I am deeply sorry, but it is now school policy. You know what happened, and there are changes within the school. This is one of them. Only grade twelve's are allowed spares now," the secretary said. She pulled off her spectacles to look at the girl better. "You know, I don't like these changes, but I can't argue with them. I would advise you to do the same."

"But Mrs. Hambley, you can't be serious," the girl complained. The secretary just ran her hand through her shortly cropped grey hair before glancing over at Lacee.

"Ah, Miss Miller. Welcome to Degrassi. I have the schedule of your classes all ready for you." She quickly popped up from her chair and headed down the hall at an unnatural brisk pace for a woman of her age.

"New to Degrassi, huh?" the girl asked without turning around. Lacee nodded in response, wishing that her schedule and Mrs. Hambley would return sooner than later. She quickly realized that the girl couldn't see her and stammered out something along the lines of a 'yes.'

The girl turned around slowly, trying to control her rage. "You came at the wrong time."

Lacee raised a brow at the girl in questioning. "Oh come on, you must have heard what happened at the dance." Lacee didn't respond. The girl put her hands on her hips and allowed her jaw to fall open. "You have got to be kidding me." She looked Lacee up and down once before shaking her head. "Well it has changed a lot. Hence the uniforms." She motioned to her body then Lacee's.

Lacee nodded. "I wondered why uniforms were mandatory all of a sudden. I'm Lacee, by the way."

"Clare," the girl responded. She fidgeted with her pleated skirt before picking up her book bag, which she must've dropped in her fuss. Just as Clare began to say something, the door swung open with vigorous force to the office. A gorgeous red haired girl entered, talking animatedly to a toffee skinned boy. He gazed down at her, more distracted by her beauty than actually paying attention to what she said.

"So what do you think?" she said, clutching her clipboard to her chest. She snapped her fingers in his face when he didn't answer. "Sav?"

Sav shook his head, before smirking at her. "I think it sounds great, Holly J." Holly J nodded in approval before looking at Clare. "Oh, hi Clare," she said casually, before proceeding down the hall. Lacee studied the obviously upperclassmen as she trotted away… and she didn't think she held her emotions when Holly J whipped around to look at her. She strode right up to Lacee with newfound determination, stopping only a few feet away from her. "You are new."

Lacee nodded slowly, not sure how to answer that. "Yes, I'm Lacee Miller."

"Holly J Sinclair, President of Student Council. Let me formally welcome you to Degrassi High School. This is Sav Bhandari, my partner for student council." She glanced over Holly J's shoulder to Sav, who waved coolly. Lacee was almost knocked off her feet as the words bubbled out of Holly J's mouth.

"Thanks," Lacee replied. She seemed … genuinely nice.

"If there is anything you need, just let me know," Holly J replied. Alright, pretty nice. Holly J turned on her heel, grabbing Sav's wrist and towing him out of the office and towards a glass compartment at the back of the room.

"You have now met the biggest perfectionist in all of Degrassi High. Holly J Sinclair," Clare commented. She rolled her eyes, before looking Lacee over. Clare made Lacee feel uneasy as the girl pricked at her with her eyes. Lacee shifted uncomfortably before Mrs. Hambley returned and handed her a timetable. "And you have locker number one hundred and seventeen. Right beside Clare." She looked at Clare for good measure, before disappearing again.

"Thanks, Mrs. Hambley," Lacee replied, skimming over the paper. English, first period. Seemed like a good enough start to her day. She exited the office behind Clare, who immediately asked for the timetable. "You have first period with me," she said. "I'll take you there after we go to our lockers."

"Thanks," Lacee replied, flashing Clare a smile. Clare returned it, relaxing as she walked down the hallways, avoiding screaming girls who were embracing each other.

"First day of second semester; it's always a little chaotic," Clare commented as she pulled Lacee out of the way of two flying girls.

"I can see that. This school just seems to have spirit though…" Lacee admired. She stared at the walls, covered in flags and posters cheering on the Panthers, and other clubs.

Clare followed her gaze before shrugging. "Sometimes too much." They walked up a set of stairs before Clare stopped in front of lockers one hundred and seventeen and sixteen. "Here we are, home sweet locker."

Lacee found the combination on the back of the lock and stuffed her things inside. She glanced down the hall, watching as students passed by her. Occasionally someone would stop by and introduce themselves, but the majority passed her by, continuing to class.

"Damn, Lacee, I am sticking with you," Clare laughed. Lacee stared in response. "Have you not seen the amount of boys _staring_ at you? They just gape at you and almost run into each other as they look at you." Clare ran her hand through her head, before shutting her locker.

Lacee smiled to herself and pushed her dirty blonde hair back behind her ear. She had never gotten a compliment like that before.

"Welcome, to our newest student, Lacee Miller," the woman at the front of the class said. Everyone followed the teacher's gaze and looked at Lacee. She smiled and waved a little, mouthing a 'hi' before returning her hands to her lap. The class went by in a blur. The first day of classes was always slack, so it had been easy enough.

"I wish we would've actually done something, though," Clare complained as they exited the room, "I mean, come on. Anything."

"It was easy enough to settle into," Lacee replied.

They proceeded out the door and towards the hall until Clare's name was called. Lacee searched for the sounds that had escaped the lips of someone, but only saw a rounded faced boy walking towards them. "Clare!" he said again. His voice was higher than it should've been at this point in high school, but Lacee wasn't one to judge. She shifted her bag on her shoulder, and stayed half a step behind Clare.

"Adam!" the girl exclaimed, throwing her arms around the boy. He laughed and started blubbering about something Lacee couldn't relate to. He started to complain about something, when he glanced over Clare's shoulder.

"Oh, right, Adam, this is Lacee. Lacee, this is Adam. Lacee transferred from … where did you transfer from?" Clare asked. She was perplexed on why she hadn't considered asking before.

Lacee let out a light laugh. "From Calgary, in Alberta. And nice to meet you Adam."

"Where are the cowboy boots and hat?" Adam joked. Lacee could sense the hint of seriousness in his voice though, and just rolled her eyes. "Left them at home," she replied.

Clare snapped out of her state and pulled the two towards her locker. "You were saying something about Drew, Adam?"

Adam sighed and threw his hands up. Everyone in this school seemed express his or her emotions very freely, Lacee noted. Back home, she was always terrified to actually state her opinion. Being the outcast did that to you.

"He still hasn't gotten over Ali, even with this whole Bianca fling. She is basically just a rebound until he finds someone that he likes better, or he just ends it." Adam shook his head in disapproval. "He needs to end it. It is seriously getting annoying. He is always bipolar when it comes to her. She either puts out or she doesn't."

"I talked to Ali. She's over him it sounds like. So I don't think there is any chance of them reuniting? Plus, Ali is still over at her all girls school as far as I know," Clare replied.

Lacee opened her locker slowly as the two rattled on about Ali and Drew. She thought she knew more about the two people than she wanted to within minutes of the chatter. Lacee stepped back from her locker, pulling her hair to the side and allowing it to fall over one shoulder as she did so. She looked out at all the people and realized that there were more people in this hall than her whole grade back in Calgary. She shuddered and pushed herself against her locker, trying to keep herself from recoiling into the memories.

Only one person caught her eye. Despite the time of year, his skin was tanned and was a slightly lighter shade than his short hair. He was walking with causality down the hall until he glanced over at her. The boy looked down before his head flicked up again, taking a double look. His face broke into a smile, and Lacee couldn't help but admire the perfectly aligned teeth. She returned the gesture before shifting to be included in the conversation between Clare and Adam. She looked at him once more, catching his eye again, before looking to Clare and Adam.

Clare's jaw was almost hitting the ground, and Adam was grinning from ear to ear. "What?" Lacee asked. She didn't really feel like answering any questions resulting what had just happened. She honestly hadn't known. Back home, she had never flirted with anyone. She had had a fling with a couple of guys, but they never went far, and meant nothing to her. This was her first day, and already she felt like she was a completely different person from who she was back home. Yet, she had done nothing different.

"Adam." A voice came from behind Lacee. She slowly turned around and backed up to stand beside Clare. Lacee knew she looked like a fool with her books pressed against her chest. She felt like she was suffocating the books- and they didn't even breath. The boy stood in front of her, holding a football and looking between her, Clare and then Adam.

"Coming to check up on me?" Adam asked, his voice thick with annoyance. "I really should be the one doing that to you. We don't want any more boiler room incidents."

The boy's face contorted before it slipped void of emotion. "Uh, excuse us ladies," he said before wrapping an arm around Adam's shoulders and hauling him away.

"Lacee Miller. I saw what was going on between you two. That, my friend, was steamy." Clare smirked at her, but allowed her gaze to rest on the two boys walking away.

Lacee shook her head. "What do you mean?" _Play dumb, play dumb._

"Don't be stupid, Lacee. You and Drew Torres; you two were totally giving each other sexy looks. Drew looked like he wanted to grab you right then and there. He looked like he had never seen anyone so beautiful on the planet," she said with a matter of fact tone.

What could she do? Lacee buried her face in her hands. "This can't be happening," she murmured into them.

"Believe it, Lacee. One of the most gorgeous guys in the school has his eye on you. I don't know if you realize this, but you are beautiful."

Lacee peered out from between her fingers. "Don't say that, Clare. If you knew where I came from, you would know how I feel. I wasn't remotely close to the word beautiful on the scale there. Those girls, back home, are gorgeous."

Clare looked at Lacee, studying her. "You didn't have an easy time in Calgary, did you?" she asked.

Her only response was shaking her head. Lacee sure as hell didn't want to talk about it now, either. This was way too much. She just pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to push out the thoughts in her head, along with the memories that threatened to come to the surface. Those memories were secrets that she was storing away in her head. But each one had a voice of it's own, and tried to make her remember. Remember the pain.

"Well, like it or not, Drew and Adam are coming back," Clare whispered. She put a hand on Lacee's shoulder, and Lacee unburied herself to look at it. "And I am here for you," Clare finished.

Lacee half smiled at it before looking up and forward to the two returning boys. She could tell that this year was going to be a whirlwind of emotions already. But with Clare's hand on her shoulder, she found some of the strength that she lacked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews and I hope the best for this fanfic! I do not own Degrassi, or any of the characters, except for the OC, Lasee Miller.**

Lacee slowly exhaled through her mouth, trying to keep her calm. Her eye lids were shut lightly, allowing just a thin film of security. She was lucky to have escaped at lunch to the library, to where she now sat. Her hand cupped her face, propping it on the table by her elbow. Talk had erupted after Drew had looked at her.

"Did you see the new girl and Drew?"

"Drew Torres? He dated Ali, didn't he?"

"I thought he was dating Bianca."

"I haven't even seen the girl; I hope she lives up to the expectations."

With the words jumbling in her head, she refused the offer of Clare bringing her to the cafeteria, assuring her she would catch up. Instead she slipped off, trying to think and collect her thoughts.

The library had been empty, but even so, Lacee found a table in the farthest corner, concealed by a bookshelf in case someone decided to search for her. She opened her eyes and started to absently doodle on a piece of paper.

"You can draw?"

Lacee jumped, snapping her pencil against the paper in the process. She whipped around to see Drew standing, his hands rising to his head in truce. "Sorry," he laughed, "I didn't mean to scare you. Can I sit down?" he gestured to the chair beside her. Lacee nodded quietly, and stuffed the pencil into her book back.

He flashed a smile at her and slumped into the chair. "You took off pretty fast after Clare invited you to lunch."

Lacee shrugged. "I didn't feel like being stared at."

Drew nodded and looked down at the paper. Her hands concealed half of it, and he slowly reached for it. "May I?"

"Sure," she murmured, allowing her grip to slacken on the parchment. Drew slid it out from underneath her touch, and stared at it. The scene had transformed into a landscape of mountains, foothills and small forest of aspen trees. Drew was silent, and stared at the picture for minutes. Lacee fiddled with the embroidered 'D' on her pants, trying to avoid Drew's gaze.

"This is…" he started.

"Bad?" Lacee interrupted. She took the drawing from his hands and put it in between two textbooks in her bag.

"No, no," Drew protested, "It's really good." He smiled at her, and left her slightly taken aback. He had a really nice smile. Not just the average joe, who had had braces. He had an amazing smile, natural but perfectly aligned and brightened with whitening. She tore her eyes off his face and blushes violently. "Uh… thanks," she stammered.

Drew shrugged before rolling up the sleeves on his sweater, exposing two leanly muscled arms. Lacee's eyes rested there, before she slowly allowed her eyes to return to his face, and hold his gaze.

"Did you want something?" she asked politely.

Drew laughed hollowly and shook his head. He muttered something along the lines of 'unbelievable.'

"No," he said louder, "I just wanted to see how you were settling in. Degrassi can be rough." He looked at her, waiting for reaction. She kept her face as void of emotion as she could, but she was actually touched by the amount of honesty in his voice.

She shrugged. "I'm doing fine. It's… better than what I am used to."

Drew raised an eyebrow at her, prodding for more. She slowly shook her head. "It isn't a story for now," she said. "Besides, class starts in ten minutes, and it's longer than that."

"Well maybe-"

"Lacee?" Clare's voice shot through the library. "Lacee, where are you?"

Drew looked up slowly as Clare rounded the corner, a dark skinned girl on her tail. The girl's eyes widened as she took in the scene of Drew and Lacee together, in the back corner, of the library. As it sank in, Lacee realized it couldn't have looked worse.

Clare seemed completely unphazed by it though. "There you are," she exclaimed. "Oh, Lacee, this is Ali Bhandari. She transferred out of school last semester, made some adjustments, and well, now she's back!" Clare wrapped an arm around Ali's shoulders, pulling her forward.

"Hi, Ali," Lacee said, trying to keep her voice from cracking. Ali. This was the girl that had previously dated Drew. She glanced quickly at Drew beside her. He sat straight, his head slightly ducked, but looking up at Ali and Clare. His eyes blazed with something… something negative. Drew's jaw clenched before he turned directly to face Lacee.

"I'll see you around, Lacee," he said. Lacee couldn't help but admire how he kept his voice under control, even in the stress of the situation. "Bye, Clare," he added before nodding curtly to Ali and pushing past him. Ali shifted to watch him leave, before she focused on the girl in front of her. Lacee knew she was in for it as soon as Ali's eyes were set on her. They had grown hard, and looked Lacee thoroughly up and down.

Clare leapt into the seat where Drew had been previously. "Why are you in here?" she asked, completely oblivious. Or at least acting liking it.

"I didn't really feel like having everyone staring at me," Lacee said.

"Why would they do that?" Clare asked. She turned to look at Ali and patted the chair next to her. Ali obediently sat down, keeping her mouth still clamped closed. "Ali, relax."

Ali glanced at Clare before allowing herself to take a few breaths, and then show a smile to Lacee. "Sorry," she said, "there is some… unattended business between Drew and I."

Lacee nodded slowly, choosing her words. "I heard that you two dated…"

"That would be correct," Ali responded. She flipped her hair behind her shoulder before crossing her hands in front of her. "We just didn't get along in the end. His mom is completely rude to anyone who isn't perfect. Eventually, I was doing stupid things to keep Drew's attention, and it costed me. I didn't want to be involved with a boy like _that_ again."

"Ali," Clare hissed. "I thought you were over him."

"I am," Ali snapped. "I met Raiden over Christmas break, and we are still getting together so stop jumping to assumptions, Clare."

Clare sighed before turning back to Lacee. "Alright, so, where were we? Oh, right. What rumors are flying around about you? You haven't been here for five hours yet!"

Lacee glanced from Clare to Ali, and stared down at her hands.

"Oh." Clare took a sharp breath in. "You know that's just because you are the new girl. People always talk about the new girls like they are magic or something. It really isn't a big deal. People will lay off eventually. Also, everyone thinks you are really something if Drew immediately took a liking."

"I'm just fresh meat is all," Lacee retorted. She grabbed her bag and hooked it over her shoulder. "Really, Clare. I'm fine. I just needed to think, and I didn't want to meet everyone quite yet."

Clare frowned but got up from the table. Ali joined them and the three walked out. "So, Raiden," Lacee said, trying to change the subject.

Ali's whole personality changed. "Oh my _God!_" she breathed. "He just makes me feel so… so, I don't know! You know that song, Teenage Dream by Katy Perry? That is Raiden and I, our relationship, in a nutshell. He is just so profound and smart. I've really changed my look on boys."

"Do your parents know about him, Ali?" Clare asked. Lacee glanced at Clare, wondering the back story on this question. The authority in Clare's voice made it clear that she wanted the truth.

"Actually, yeah," Ali replied quietly. "They approve also. He's helped pull my grades up, which is why they allowed me to return to Degrassi. Oh how I missed these uniforms." She brushed off a non-existent crumb off her jacket.

"Well, I am happy for you then, Ali," Clare pronounced. "When does the best friend get to meet the boy friend?"

"I am going out to a movie with him and his friend's this weekend. Why don't you come along? Lacee, you can come too if you want." Ali beamed at the girl. She seemed completely different from the girl in the library, like Clare had kicked her in the shin or something.

"Sure, that would be awesome," Lacee replied, slightly taken aback.

"I'll text you," Ali said.

"I have physics now… I'll meet up with you two after class," Clare said, turning down the hall as the exited the library. She waved before flying down the hall.

Ali watched her go before turning to face Lacee. "Social studies?"

Lacee nodded. "Yes, would you mind showing me?"

"My pleasure," Ali responded, hooking her arm through Lacee's.

They walked in silence for a few steps before Lacee opened her mouth. She figured it was the best way to get the subject off both of their minds. "Ali… if there is something between you and Drew, please tell me. I don't even want a boy friend right now… and I don't want to be making any enemies on the first day of school." Lacee withdrew her arm and faced Ali head on. She ran her hand through her hair, ruffling it slightly.

Ali shook her head. "Don't be silly, Lacee. There is nothing between Drew and I. I told you, Raiden and I have a special connection."

Lacee bit her lip. "Then why did something weird between you and Drew happen in the library?"

The girl's laugh filled the hall. It was loud but sweet; like a soprano. "Drew and I didn't end on the best of terms. Come on, I'll tell you in social. Trust me, you don't want to be late for social. Our heads will be cut off." Ali tugged on Lacee's arm, pulling her down the hall and past the glass walls. Lacee smiled a bit to herself, crossing her fingers that this wouldn't mean anything horrible in the long run for her relationship; with anybody.

"I can't believe that was a class," Ali almost shouted as they exited the room. "What a _waste_ of time. Brutal." She strode furiously from the door, her heels clicking against the tile. Freshmen stumbled into the lockers, making a path for the fuming girl as she nearly trampled people down the hall. Lacee jogged to catch up, trying to convince her as best as she could to slow down.

"It was just stupid though. Who do you think I am? Some loony bin that transferred back just because I couldn't stand being away? Partly true, but for different reasons as well!" Ali shrieked, shoving people aside to get to her locker. She threw it open and dropped her bag inside.

Lacee gapped. She had never had to actually deal with girls like this back home. She fumbled with her words, trying to find a way to calm Ali down. Like an angel, Clare showed up and slowly turned Ali to face her.

They bickered back and forth for a few minutes before Ali took a deep breath, making her small torso shudder. "Oh… okay, I think I am fine." She glanced as Lacee, and laughed at the girl's open mouth and pale face. She looked petrified, and unable to move.

"Sorry," she said.

Lacee shook her head. "Not a big problem, don't worry." She forced herself to breath and relax a little, before heading back to her locker with Clare and Ali shortly behind them.

Clare was talking about some ridiculous problem when they reached their lockers. Lacee piled her books onto a shelf when she felt another presence to her left. She casually peeked over her shoulder, to see Drew walking down the hall. He was searching, it seemed. He looked directly at Lacee and flashed her a smirk. Drew started to walk towards her when his name was called, and a tall girl with a mountain of ringlets came bounding up to him. She grabbed his shirt zipper and started playing with it, keeping her lips inches away from his as she said something. He smiled at her before she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his.

Lacee quietly closed her locker and turned to face the exit. She started slowly, before breaking into a jog and flying out the doors and onto the stairs of Degrassi High School. She could hear her name being called; but she didn't look back. She proceeded down the stairs until she was on the bottom step. She sat down sharply, her whole weight sagging. Lacee's head fell into her hands, and she tried to reassure herself that she hadn't been led on.

But clearly she had, and Lacee didn't know if she could take this all over again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for reading! As always, I do not own Degrassi, only the OCs. I do not own Degrassi.** **Also, breaks are now displayed as _PB_ sorry for the confusion.**

_PB_

Too much. It was all way too much.

Lacee pressed her forehead against the steering wheel of her truck. She had her eyes clamped shut, trying to force out everything. She had gone to class after she had regained some composure on the stairs, and then left the school without saying anything to anyone. Ali and Clare hadn't shown up again, to Lacee's happiness. Lacee slowly brought her head back to slump against the seat, before she noticed the sickening shade of white her hands were turning. A finger at a time, she released her grip, before turning the key and booting the car to life.

A light tap came from the passenger door. Sighing, Lacee regretfully turned her head. Drew gave her an awkward smiled before pulling on the handle to the truck. It was locked, and snapped as he released it. Fury built inside of Lacee, and she quickly released the lock on the doors. Drew slipped inside, but before he could get a word out, Lacee had begun.

"Don't _ever_ be careless around my truck," she hissed. This truck was one of her most prized possessions, and she honestly didn't want it getting damaged. She realized how ridiculous the accusation was for something so minor, but Drew was as taken aback as she hoped.

Lacee nodded and stared back forward, her hands now holding the wheel again. At least they hadn't turned egg white… yet.

The silence was deafening, but Lacee refused to break it. She wasn't the one that invited him into the truck. She was very aware of the few looks that people gave her and Drew, but most people didn't walk by her truck. Despite the silence, it wasn't awkward. Drew was so filled with his thoughts he didn't even look at Lacee, and she was sure as hell not about to meet his eyes.

Drew cleared his throat slowly, before looking at her. Lacee's hands tightened around the wheel, before she forced them to relax. She didn't turn to look at him, but watched out of her peripheral vision as he shifted to face her.

"I really like you, Lacee," he said.

"You don't even know me."

He nodded and looked down at the leather interior of the vehicle. Slowly regaining his confidence, he started to speak again. "So I would like to take you out."

Lacee laughed hollowly. "Under these circumstances, Drew? I don't want to be just another pawn in these games you play."

"I know, but seriously, there is nothing going on…"

"It didn't look like nothing…" Lacee mumbled.

"Lacee," he protested. He reached out and grabbed her closest hand, prying her fingers off from around the wheel. The blood rushed back into them, sending pins and needles through her fingertips. He held her hand between his own, and slowly pulled to force her to look at him. Lacee turned but refused to look at him. She stared past him, into the front yard of Degrassi.

He sighed, figuring it was as good as he was going to get. "There is nothing between Bianca and I. We had a fling… she was a rebound, really, after Ali. But I am over her, and Ali, for that matter. Seriously. I ended things right then and there. I realized that I could have a lot better in this world than… than _her."_

His voice cracked as he spoke. Drew had remarkable control of his voice, but this was the first time he actually let his emotion through to her. Lacee's eyes slowly met his, and she was forced to hold his gaze. "You'll have to work for better."

Drew raised the corner of his lips, before nodding. "I can do that."

Lacee rolled her eyes.

"So how about Friday?" he asked softly.

"I'm going out with Ali and Clare…" Lacee replied. "For a movie, at least."

"I will talk to Ali, then I'll let you know what is going on tomorrow." Drew smiled, mischief curling into his eyes. Lacee watche with fascination as the emotions changed so quickly inside of Drew. _Bipolar, maybe_ she thought.

Lacee shrugged, slowly pulling her hand back. "What ever you say, Drew."

The smile that escaped his face almost made Lacee break into dance. He just looked so… _excited._ Drew, she realized, had amazing capabilities to control his emotions and easily manipulate those around him. Had she not figured this out so soon, she was sure she would've fallen under his spell from the aura he casted.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow then," he said, opening the door to the truck. Lacee nodded, and the boy slipped outside, carefully shutting the door so he wouldn't be yelled at again. Once he was securely out of her field of vision, Lacee slumped forward against the wheel.

_PB_

Bianca wanted to vomit. High and might Drew had fancied his way into this girl's heart, and was surly asking her out already. In a _day._ She spited the fact that he moved on so easily from her. Bianca. No one used her like that. Bianca didn't get broken up with; she did the breaking up.

The girl adjusted one of her large silver hoops that hung from her ears before shouldering her backpack on and heading towards the bus station. If only this girl, and Drew, knew who they were dealing with.

Bianca kept her eyes transfixed on the figure leaning against the steering wheel of her truck. "A truck," she muttered, "how… appropriate." The driver sat up and started to reverse before pulling out of the parking lot and heading down the road. Bianca placed a manicured finger against her lips before smiling to herself.

"Oh if they only knew," she said, before a laugh erupted out of her body.

**Short chapter. More like super short. This was all I had and I needed to get it down before I started on the next chapter. Which will be huge and take a few days to write.**

**Thanks for reading. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. I've been super busy and I am now heading into finals and won't be able to update for a little bit. So please bare with me! I do not own any of the characters except for the OC, Lacee Miller. I do not own Degrassi as well, although I wish I did because that would be amazing. Enjoy!**

**_._._**

Degrassi High School was always full of drama. Each year, another heap of students would enter the hall with their own lives. Each life would be intertwined with another as soon as the students connect in verbal of physical ways. The result of these connections would create something known as gossip, or perhaps just small talk. From there, if it had the potential, the gossip would travel the halls and edge itself in each person's mind. From gossip, comes drama. Drama between people, friends, acquaintances and couples. Slowly the gossip would fade, the drama would subside, and all would be quiet. This was until something new entered the school, or new connections were made.

Degrassi High School was a never-ending circle of drama.

"I can't believe you did that," the girl hissed. Her blonde locks painted twisted shadows across her face as she peered forward. "I trusted you, and you betrayed me." Two other girls joined her, one with rich brown hair the other with black. They all glared, their eyebrows pulling down across their perfect faces. "Stupid," they hissed, before cussing.

In defense, the girl they yelled at raised her hands above her head. "I tried to protect you. I warned you," she protested.

"You told them were we where," the black haired one replied. "We _trusted _you."

"I told you," the girl whimpered, wrapping her arms around her head. Protect yourself, she thought. "I told you."

"You can't do anything. You are filthy, and I can't believe I ever wanted to be your friend. I can't believe I defended you. I can't believe I didn't see the scum that you are. You will never, ever go anywhere in your life, Lacee Miller. You are pathetic, and I will personally make your life a living hell."

A scream thrust Lacee out of her bed, her hands frantically trying to untangle herself from the sheets. Her fingers found her jaw and she pushed it closed, letting her lips tangle shut. A hum came from her throat, but slowly dulled. Her frantic breathing became soft, and she climbed back into her bed. She buried her face and her tears in her pillow. The nightmares never faded, each one more vibrant and alive than the one previous.

"You look…"

"Terrible, I know," Lacee murmured into her hand. She was leaning against her elbow in homeroom, her eyes barely open to look at Ali.

Ali shook her head and touched Lacee's outstretched hand. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Lacee shook her head. "Nothing, just couldn't sleep last night is all. I drank a different type of tea before bed and I guess it kept me up."

The two girls stayed silent for a while as the teacher started to blabber on about something. Lacee was barely coherent enough to catch the end of the conversation and the bell cutting through her speech. Ali grabbed the girl's arm and hauled her out of the desk before pushing her towards the hallway.

"Well, you have to be more than a little excited over tonight," Ali said. She grinned at Lacee, linking her arm through the girl's.

Lacee nodded and smiled. "You are sure that I can come to the movie with Drew?"

Ali laughed. "Go to dinner, do what ever, then come find us. I talked to Drew already."

"Awkward?" Lacee raised a brow, waiting for response.

The girl shook her head, black curls bouncing around her face. "Not at all. We are on talking terms, and we may be extinct lovers, but we do not like each other anymore. Therefore, it is not awkward. Besides, I'm happy for you." She grinned before opening her locker and grabbing a textbook. "Plus, I have Raiden."

"Ah, Raiden," Clare said, walking into their conversation. She smirked at Ali before turning to Lacee. Her eyes almost fell out of her head. "Lacee…" she whispered. She reached to touch the swollen pockets under the girl's eyes. Lacee shrugged and turned her head away, allowing her hair to fall in between them.

Ali must have given Clare a look, because she dropped the subject pretty quickly. Lacee scrimmaged for her textbook as well, before closing the locker. She jumped as Drew's face was pressed against the other side. "Creepy?" he asked.

"More than so," Lacee confirmed.

Clare stifled a giggle before wrapping an arm around Ali. "See you in English."

Drew leaned against the lockers, a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. Lacee tried to keep her hair over her face, blocking the view of her freakish looking eyes. She had done the basic makeup – mascara and eye shadow. But she deemed the large puffs underneath her eyes along with the red rims unmanageable. Clare and Ali were the only ones to comment so far, but they were also the only ones who cared enough about her or knew her enough at this point in time.

Lacee let her back lightly hit her locker so she stood beside drew. She stared forward at the opposing line of lockers. She could feel the boy next to her studying her, but she dared not to look. Tunnel vision was a key to success. This she knew.

"Are you alright?" he finally asked.

She closed her heavy lids. "I'm fine."

He wasn't impressed by the answer. "I read something somewhere that 'I'm fine' is the most common lie. So I don't believe you."

Lacee hollowly chuckled, before turning to face Drew. "Trust me, I'm fine." Drew stared at her, taking in her stance, her clothes, her makeup. He reached out with a finger and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. As he withdrew his hand, he let the back of his fingers brush her cheek bone. She shuddered lightly, making a complete fool of herself. Drew didn't seem to notice, or at least pretended not to. They held each other's gaze through the whole progression, not daring to disconnect.

"English," he said, breaking the connection between them. Lacee ran her fingers through her hair and nodded.

_._._

"I'll see you tonight?" Clare asked.

"Yeah, I'll be there," Lacee murmured. She pressed a finger to her temple before grabbing her books out of her locker and looking at Clare. She was giving Lacee one of her 'I'm not impressed and I know there is something wrong' looks. Only a week and Lacee already had felt this stare more than once.

"Good," Clare confirmed. "You will finally get to meet Eli. He just came home today." Clare's face broke into the biggest smile possible. It seemed like it couldn't be held by the constraints of her skin, and she trotted down the hall and out of the doors without another word.

Lacee followed the footsteps of the girl minutes later, noticing a black shine out of the corner of her eye. She stopped to look to her left, but there was no one but a few girls squealing over something. Her whole body shuddered as the nightmares came to life. There was only one person that had that type of shine in her hair. But she was long gone, back in Calgary. The girl forced herself forwards and out to her truck, where she managed to drive home without crashing the vehicle.

_._._

Remotely better was an understatement. Lacee didn't know what she ate, but she felt a thousand times better, and actually felt acutely aware of those around her. Drew had his fingers laced with her own, leisurely walking with her down the sidewalk. Occasionally he would look at her, smiling proudly, before continuing.

"So Adam is your brother, then?" Lacee asked.

Drew raised a brow. "I thought you knew that already?"

She shrugged. "Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. How is it to be hanging out with his friends though, sometimes?"

"I don't mind. I like to look out for him, and I am friends with his friends. It's all interconnected, you know," Drew replied.

The theatre came up quicker than Lacee would've liked. The conversation they had actually felt like the most normal one Lacee had had since coming to Toronto. She felt like a human being again, being treated in a normal manner. Outside of the theatre doors, Lacee stopped, pulling Drew to face her.

"Why me?" she asked. She knew it was a question every boy dreaded, but she actually was curious to know how she had caught the attention of Drew Torres.

He didn't miss a beat though. "Because you actually seem to not care what people think. You also don't try to impress those around you. You are just… genuine. You are your own person."

Lacee felt her face open into a smile and she just pressed herself against Drew. "Did I get the right answer?" he laughed.

"Perfect," she whispered against his shirt.

They slowly entered the theatre together and spotted the large group of Degrassi students. Clare was the first to spot the two of them entering. She touched Ali's shoulder quickly, flicking her finger towards the entrance. Ali swirled around, watching as Lacee looked at Drew with a small smile. She seemed so enthralled with him; he had said the right thing to her. Clare and Ali hadn't seen the girl so pleasured in the whole time she had been in Toronto.

"Hey," Drew said casually as they walked up.

They split their hands then, to greet the others around them. Clare hastily introduced those in the group, and Lacee apologized to each one, knowing she wouldn't remember their names. When she got to a black haired boy with matching eyes, Clare lingered for a moment. They caught each other's glance before grinning.

"Eli," the boy said, sticking out a hand covered in bracelets.

"Lacee," she responded. She fixed her leather jacket around her body and joined Drew by his side, where he instantly slipped his fingers through hers. She felt much more grounded with her hand in his, and actually was able to participate in the conversation of those around her.

"Come on guys, the movie starts right away," Clare said, ushering the group towards the theatre.

Ali glanced at Drew before turning to a tall boy with blonde hair and a red flannel shirt. He had a dashing smile and seemed very proper. She placed a hand on his chest, before linking her arms with his. She bounced on his arm, talking animatedly until they reached the theatre.

To none of the group, the girl with large curls was a particular threat. But Bianca sat only a few meters away, hidden under sunglasses and a magazine. She had found her target, and pinpointed how to win back her prize.

"Prepare for a fight of your lives," she whispered under her breath. With that, the girl stood up and stalked out of the theatre, scheming in her head.


End file.
